Device for a Ringformed Scraper Intended for a Floor Treatment Machine

ABSTRACT

A device for a scrubbing-liquid scraper ring for a wet-scrubbing machine having a motor-driven rotatable brush. The scraper ring includes a plurality of flexible blade members that are tilted in relation to the ring&#39;s circumference and intended rotational direction and that are held in place in the scraper ring by respective quick-attachment mechanisms. A quick-attachment mechanism includes a manual actuation part and an attachment part that cooperates with a respective flexible blade member, and the attachment part is configured to move between a holding position and a releasing position.

The present invention concerns a device for a ringformed liquid scraperfor a floor treatment machine provided with a motor driven rotatablefloor treatment tool, the scraper ring comprising a plurality offlexible scraper blade members, which are tilted in relation to thecircumference and intended rotational direction of the scraper ring andwhich are held in place in the scraper ring by a mechanism therefor.

In, e.g., wet scrubbing machines and other floor treatment machines,which operate using water, scrubbing liquid and/or another floortreatment liquid and which comprise a scraper ring, which is attached tobe arranged around a rotatably driven brush, pad, grinding pad, abrasivedisc, disc with sandpaper, or another suitable floor treatment tool,there are problems of being able to efficiently attach the separatenumerous scraper blade members that are arranged to be held in place inthe scraper ring by an intended mechanism therefor, and the function ofwhich essentially is to scrape the underlayer clean from the scrubbingliquid, etc., for sucking it up by means of a suction device coupled to,or which is included in, said, for instance, wet scrubbing machine. Whenthe wet scrubbing machine is run on underlayers causing the scraperblade members to be severely worn or causing the material of the samefor some reason not to be so efficient for the underlayer in question onthe floor, there is a need for easily being able to change the scraperblade members to new ones or to be replaced by other kinds of blades.U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,549 A and EP 0 880 834 A1 show the presence ofscraper blades (128 and 2, respectively), which are attached in holdersby means of: shafts (140, 142, 158, 160), which are provided withflexible heads (144) and which can spring to be inserted into holes (98,99, 120) in a said holder (88), and by means of clipping elements (6) ofa holder (3) and which are inserted into an opening (4) of the scraperblade (2) and which are supported by a manually operated scrape providedwith a handle, respectively. However, there is not arranged any intendedlever connected with the movable resilient attachment means of a fixedpart for thereby facilitating replacement of scraper blade.

The main object of the present invention is primarily to solve, bysimple but efficiently working means, among other the above mentionedproblems in a technically working way.

Said object is achieved by means of a device according to the presentinvention, which essentially is characterized in that quick-attachmentmechanisms intended for individual scraper blade members comprise amanual actuation part, which is formed of a lever, which is connectedwith the movable resilient attachment means of said attachment part, aswell as an attachment part cooperatable with said scraper blade member,said attachment part being actuatable to move between a holding positionand a releasing position, respectively, of a said scraper blade member.

The present invention is described below as a preferred embodimentexample, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which,

FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically show in cross-section a scraper blade memberin an attachment-ready position and in an attached position,respectively,

FIG. 2A shows different views of parts included in a quick-attachmentmechanism in assembled and loose, respectively, position,

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of a portion of a scraper ring obliquelyfrom above,

FIG. 4 shows the front part of a wet scrubbing machine with the properscrubbing and suction part of the machine as seen obliquely from above,

FIG. 5 shows from below a scraper ring with scraper blade membersattached thereto,

FIG. 6 shows the scraper ring shown in FIG. 5 as seen obliquely fromabove, and

FIG. 7 shows a view obliquely from below of a wet scrubbing machine andits scrubbing-brush with surrounding scraper ring and scraper blademembers attached thereto.

THE INVENTION DESCRIBED IN BRIEF

This scraper ring should be a complement to the scraper ring used withthe today's machine. The scraper ring used for the today's machine hasrelatively hard scrapers and which are not easy to replace. The presentinvention having detachable scrapers gives the user possibility ofreplacing scraper depending on floor type. The user threads up a scrape,made of rubber or another soft material, through a slot on the undersideof the scraper ring and pushes in a snap lock hand-lever, which ismounted on a spring, to be able to bring up the scraper all the way upto the upper part of an attachment ring. The user then releases thehand-lever, which makes the spring to return to its original positionand lock the scrape.

A said scraper ring is mounted around a brush of a cleaning machine andhas two functions, on one hand to scrape up scrubbing water and inaddition assist in sucking up scrubbing water.

The scraper ring is fixedly mounted in three leaf springs and rotatestogether with the brush. The scrapers ensure that the scrubbing waterdoes not come outside the scraper ring. Vacuum tubing, which also isplaced in the scraper ring, sucks up the scrubbing water that thescrapers scrape together from the underlayer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A device 1 for a ringformed liquid scraper 2 for a wet scrubbing machine3, or another similar cleaning machine, which is provided with a motordriven rotatable brush 4, or another floor treatment tool, as well assuction devices 23, comprises a plurality of flexible scraper blademembers 6, which are tilted in relation to the circumference andintended rotational direction 5 of the scraper ring and which arearranged to be held in place in the scraper ring 2 by a mechanism 7intended therefor. According to the invention, there are comprisedquick-attachment mechanisms 7 intended for individual scraper blademembers 6, and which comprise a manual actuation part 8 as well as anattachment part 9, which is arranged for disengagable interconnectionwith said scraper blade member 6. In that connection, said attachmentpart 9 is actuatable to move between a holding position I of a saidscraper blade member 6 and a releasing position II, respectively, of asaid scraper blade member 6. Said actuation part 8 is formed of a lever,which is connected with the movable resilient attachment means 10 ofsaid attachment part 9. The lever has such a length that it isactuatable by means of finger power and is stiffer than the attachmentpart 9. Suitably, the lever consists of metal or plastic material and isriveted, screwed, glued, or welded to the attachment part 9.

The attachment part 9 may have attachment means 10, which are arrangedto, at least with a part thereof, penetrate into or deform the material11 that the scraper blade members 6 consist of. Alternatively, theattachment part may have attachment means, which are arranged to, byclamping action against part of the attachment portion of the scraperblade member, clamp the scraper blade member in question onto thescraper ring, or that attachment means, which are allowed to penetrateinto prefabricated recesses in the scraper blade members, are utilized.

The scraper blade members 6, which consist of rubber and/or plasticmaterial, or other more or less soft materials, preferably polymermaterials, are insertable into slot-shaped recesses 12 in the frame 13of the scraper ring with a part 14, said attachment part 9 of thequick-attachment mechanism 7 being cooperatable with said insertablepart 14 of the respective scraper blade member 6.

The attachment part 9 may be formed of a resiliently pivotably mountedplastic or metal piece provided with teeth 10, and the teeth 10, whichare punched out of one end of the attachment part, are distributed alongthe width of the entire attachment part, the attachment part beingformed of spring steel.

Alternatively, the attachment part may have attachment means, which arearranged to be received in prefabricated recesses in said scraper blademembers, for instance such as in a ring binder or the like. This is notshown in the drawings. Neither are other solutions within the scope ofthe claims shown or described further.

By a part 16, said quick-attachment mechanisms 7 are connected with anupper part 15 of the frame of the scraper ring.

The design of the invention should clearly have been understood by theabove-mentioned and by means of the drawings. The function is also seenthereby but it should be briefly described that the user of the wetscrubbing machine 3 or another floor treatment machine pushes by afinger on the actuation part 8 at its outer end, wherein the force Fthat then acts on the actuation part 8 makes the same to be turned inthe direction 17 around a formed pivot joint 18 between the attachmentpart 9 and an anchorage part 19 of a common resilient part 20, which inthe example shown is fixed between an upper part 15 of an intendedscraper ring 2 and the proper frame 21 thereof.

At the same time as the actuation part 8 is turned inward 17, theattachment part 9 connected therewith will be turned outward in thedirection 2 of the arrow 22. In said position, the intended, forinstance worn, scraper blade member 6 can be pulled out of the intendedrecess 12 in the scraper ring 2 and a new scraper blade member 6 beinserted therein. In the present example, in doing so, the teeth 10 ofthe attachment part 9 will penetrate into the material 11 of theinsertable part 14 of the scraper blade member, as is shown in FIG. 2,and efficiently hold said scraper blade member 6 in place in the scraperring 2. The removal of the scraper blade member 6 is carried out in thesame way but in the opposite direction.

Alternatively, pure clamping action of the material of the scraper blademembers from each side thereof, as has been indicated above, may beutilized, or that attachment means mating to prefabricated recesses inthe scraper blade members are allowed to be received therein.

The nature and the function of the device should have been clear fromwhat is described above and shown in the drawings.

The invention is naturally not limited to the embodiments describedabove and the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.Modifications are feasible, particularly as for the nature of thedifferent parts, or by using an equivalent technique, without departingfrom the protection area of the invention, such as it is defined in theclaims.

1.-9. (canceled)
 10. A device for a ring-shaped liquid scraper for afloor treatment machine having a motor-driven rotatable floor-treatmenttool, the ring-shaped liquid scraper comprising: a plurality of flexibleblade members tilted in relation to a circumference and intendedrotational direction of the scraper ring; and a plurality ofquick-attachment mechanisms for the flexible blade members, wherein thequick-attachment mechanisms hold the flexible blade members in place inthe scraper, a quick-attachment mechanism for a respective flexibleblade member comprising: a manual actuation part having a lever; and anattachment part that has a movable resilient attachment device and thatcooperates with the respective flexible blade member; wherein the manualattachment part is connected with the movable resilient attachmentdevice and is configured to move between a holding position and areleasing position of the respective flexible blade member.
 11. Thedevice of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the attachment devicepenetrates into or deforms the respective flexible blade member.
 12. Thedevice of claim 11, wherein the attachment part includes a resilientlypivotal plastic or metal portion having teeth.
 13. The device of claim12, wherein the teeth are punched out of an end of the attachment partand are distributed along a width of the attachment part, and theattachment part is formed of spring steel.
 14. The device of claim 10,wherein the movable resilient attachment device is configured forreception in a prefabricated recess in the respective flexible blademember.
 15. The device of claim 10, wherein the movable resilientattachment device is configured to clamp against an attachment portionof the respective flexible blade member.
 16. The device of claim 10,wherein the lever is stiffer than the attachment part, and a length ofthe lever is such that the lever is it is finger-operable.
 17. Thedevice of claim 16, wherein the lever is metal or plastic and isriveted, screwed, glued, or welded to the attachment part.
 18. Thedevice of claim 10, wherein the flexible blade member is at least one ofrubber and a polymeric material and has an insertable portion configuredfor insertion into slot-shaped recesses in a frame of the ring-shapedliquid scraper; the attachment part cooperates with the insertableportion of the respective flexible blade member; and the plurality ofquick-attachment mechanisms are connected with the frame of thering-shaped liquid scraper.
 19. The device of claim 14, wherein theflexible blade member is at least one of rubber and a polymeric materialand has an insertable portion configured for insertion into slot-shapedrecesses in a frame of the ring-shaped liquid scraper; the attachmentpart cooperates with the insertable portion of the respective flexibleblade member; and the plurality of quick-attachment mechanisms areconnected with the frame of the ring-shaped liquid scraper.
 20. Thedevice of claim 15, wherein the flexible blade member is at least one ofrubber and a polymeric material and has an insertable portion configuredfor insertion into slot-shaped recesses in a frame of the ring-shapedliquid scraper; the attachment part cooperates with the insertableportion of the respective flexible blade member; and the plurality ofquick-attachment mechanisms are connected with the frame of thering-shaped liquid scraper.
 21. The device of claim 16, wherein theflexible blade member is at least one of rubber and a polymeric materialand has an insertable portion configured for insertion into slot-shapedrecesses in a frame of the ring-shaped liquid scraper; the attachmentpart cooperates with the insertable portion of the respective flexibleblade member; and the plurality of quick-attachment mechanisms areconnected with the frame of the ring-shaped liquid scraper.